AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I overheard Mia talking at the bakery today. It sounded like she was looking for a new location for the bakery. She wouldn’t tell me anything more, so I tried asking Piper, but she just left.”
“Then all you can do now is wait and show her how much you care. And a few gifts wouldn’t hurt either,” he chuckles. “Love can be both the greatest joy and the worst pain in this life. I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thanks,” I reply, I guess that was sort of helpful. “I guess I have the afternoon free—care to do something with your grandson?”
“Round of golf?” he asks.
“I’d love to play,” I confirm as we stand up together.
“Piper will come around,” he reassures me.
“I hope so,” I admit.
Just when I start to realize the depth of my emotions for her, something comes between us. I want to confess how I feel about her but now she’s pushing me away. These last few weeks with Piper have been incredible. She’s kind and stunning, usually levelheaded. But something is bothering her. While I understand the need to give her some space, I can’t bear the thought of being away from her for too long. It would break my heart to be without her. And that realization hits me hard—I don’t want to live without her by my side.
16
Piper
“What do you think of these flowers?” I ask Missy, silently saying a prayer that this third attempt wins her over.
The wedding is coming quickly, and so far, my designs are leaving my sister wanting more. I’ve spent the last forty-eight hours perfecting these flowers. These are without a doubt my best work yet. If she doesn’t like them—with their delicate petals and intricate details in the center of each one—then maybe I’m not the right baker for this job. I want everything to be perfect for my sister’s wedding, but creating this group of flowers took every ounce of energy, time, and patience that I had left. I see Mom and Olivia clasping their hands together in front of their faces as Missy carefully inspects the flowers.
“I love them,” Missy exclaims as cheers erupt around the kitchen.
“Thank goodness,” I mutter, releasing the breath I was holding. “I worked so hard on these that my hands are cramping up. It’ll probably take me days to recover. I thought this style would suit you best.”
“Did you really hand-paint all of those details on the petals?” Olivia asks me with amazement written all over her face.
I nod. “It’s a unique coloring technique.”
“Well, you’ve done an excellent job with it,” my mom remarks. “And we’re almost at the finish line for this wedding. I have to admit, I could use a vacation once it’s all over.”
“Nolan and I might be a little…particular,” Missy defends as Olivia snorts and my mother rolls her eyes. “But we’re only getting married once, and I want it to be the most perfect day for us to remember for years to come.”
“Well, your cake will put mine to shame,” Olivia tells Missy.
“Do you have the models of the other cakes as well?” Missy asks as my shoulders slump.
“Sweetie, it takes a lot of time and ingredients to do mock-ups,” I tell her. “I wanted to make sure I had your final approval for the main cake, but you are going to have to trust me on the other two. I promise they will be perfect,” I plead with her.
“Oh.” Missy bites down on her lip. “I mean, can’t Mia just run the shop so you can do this for me?”
I take a deep breath, knowing that it’s simply not possible for me to do everything she’s asking while also fulfilling my normal bakery orders. Making this mock-up with three different sets of flowers has already taken more time away than I expected.
“Missy, I can’t do that. The fact that you chose multiple cakes—” I begin to explain, trying to justify my decision.
“We’ll be good,” Mom chimes in. “Honestly, the guests will only be focused on this showpiece and besides, Piper will do a lovely job,” she tells Missy.
Missy mulls that over for a few seconds before she bobs her head. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Did you get the dress adjusted?” my mother says to me.
“I’ll pick it up on Friday,” I confirm.
Although they seem focused on the wedding preparations, I can’t help but worry about the sale of my building. I want to ask Missy if she’s heard any updates from Nolan, but I decide against it. This is her special time, and I don’t want to spoil it by bringing up my own concerns. Plus, wouldn’t she expect me to already know what’s going on since I’m dating Caleb? I’ll just have to (not so) patiently wait until she or Caleb brings it up.
“I should get back to work.” I gesture toward the workroom.
